Tag Archives: Vivek Bhasin

THANK YOU (1961-1970)

When I was five on the Howrah -Kalka-Howrah mail
so small so timid so afraid
so “mouse”
my trunk was packed
my bedding roll
my attache case
I said a million good byes
I wept my bedsheets
as the Howrah – Kalka mail
went “ khatkhat khatakat”towards the hills..
shunting at Delhi Station
connecting with bogies of Bombay Madras School Parties;  200 Cottonians, as we were boarders at EXCEPTIONAL BCS!
…what I remember most at Delhi station was…
my father’s brothers with families
my maternal grandmother, my youngest mum…
they all came to the station to meet me and spend hours on board
with food, cuddles and love..
Most are in Sacred Heaven..
I  bitterly regret, emotionally regret…
I never thanked them enough..
I was but five years and right upto my last years in school
at age fifteen
they were always there at Delhi in March and
December…
always.
It just showed how close families were at that time..
they took time to come and meet me, console yet encourage me
and later
my brother Sharat joined me .. he was five too and I then nine ..
I cannot thank you enough…
please accept with folded hands and great
humility,  with bowed head, with flowing tears “Thank you for being there for that little boy of five
who was going to BCS for nine months…
who returning to Calcutta for three months..stopped at Delhi..
who never expressed his thankfulness… nor gratefulness”
I can never forget ever forget … NEVER EVER
My Father now 99 amongst the stars
My Mother now 91…
Your decisions to send me to Simla were
carefully weighed
you had the foresight
and understood
Simla was fresh clean crisp
Bishop Cotton School
The finest..
… I would look back at those 10 years
and understand
the reasons
why I arrived at different points on our planet… the force of my parents, my closest others..
and …
with the force of BCS within me.
🙏 THANK YOU

Vivek”Bonnie”BHASIN
Lefroy House
1961-1970

Kindest Regards and Best Wishes,

Bonnie/Vivek Bhasin

The whole nine yards – or should it be 256 yards*?

BCS – Life – Golf – The Phoenix 🦅

Esquires:
Chetan “Sunny” Singh ( I -1971)
Gurnir “ Niri” Gill ( L-1971)
Prithvi Prem (R-1971)
Prithvi Nat( I-1971)
Vivek “Bonnie” Bhasin (L-1970)
Sanjiv “Sunny” Chadha (L-1974
Atamjit Singh ( R-1974)
Sharat Bhasin ( L-1975)
Amarjeet Kuki Kukreja ( C-1988)
Hitesh Chauhan (I-2006)
Rajiv Sood (L-1979)
Gurnihal Mann ( I-1974)
Kanav Monga ( I-1989)
Manpreet Minhas ( L-1998)
Jaspinder Kochhar ( R-1998)
Simran Grewal ( C-1998)

When Cottonians meet…
The Sky turns cobalt
The Sun’s warmth is complimented by the brotherhood
bonded 163 years ago
..7000 feet
on the Mighty Divine Himalaya…
And …C O N T I N U I N G…🙏

It is indeed amazing how our togetherness as young lads at our fabulous BCS…be it 3,5,10,11 and even 13  years instilled in us the spirit of A “Cottonian” creating a bond stronger than the mightiest steel. We left to follow our destinies, navigating the jungles of this world.

I at least with butterflies in my gut….
but slowly the power of BCS won over and conquered my nervousness, anxiety, hesitant nature..

Every one of us met many others along the way whom we befriended…
but the umbilical cord of our Alma mater held on ..when crossing a street, running through an airport, entering a restaurant, a corporate office, a hotel, at myriad social events, overcoming tremendously dangerous storms on the high seas, walking 900 km on the Camino to Santiago de Compostela… even navigating between Tierra del Fuego and Argentina, it was the force of our great school that made us survivors…as global citizens…

A car zooms by with a BCS sticker .. you accelerate wishing to catch up with him at the next red light and shout across…
…you  meet another, after years, crossing the street .. familiar face, faint recognition, a few changes…but his BCS vernacular makes you stop and skid in your tracks .. you’re that speed boat that suddenly drops revs from 20,000 to zero! ..
then it all comes back …you become young Cottonians again.

Perhaps I am meandering, slicing, drawing, fading along my trajectory path just as when addressing the ball on the first tee… I shank it with my windmill swing and it’s gone out of bounds “OOB”..the mulligan I took,  signified .. never give up, stand up and rise ….like the Phoenix 🦅 ( tattooed on Sunny Chadha’s left chest )..

Well.. Golf was not a sport during my days though Naldhera Golf Course was close at hand .. they say it is a sport for gentlemen and gentle ladies; a sport that makes you understand yourself, analyse yourself, readjust, compensate your swing so that the next stroke connects with that little white dimpled speck as it shoots off like an imbecile, a missile towards its next destination .. finally arriving dropping in the hole, sort of exhausted, exhilarated, frustrated … but up again …just as our lives….onwards, upwards.

A few days after the Annual OCA lunch diehard Kanav Monga, last Friday 17th Feb 2023 set up a 16 ball rendezvous at the ITC Classic Golf and Country Club. This was the second year of this reunion set up, arranged with the positive stubbornness and insistence of Kanav…
….a day away from the madding crowds, the clanking of horns and the grinding of rusty steel, the roar, road rage, discourtesy of road traffic snarling on the NH8….

It felt wonderful to arrive at the oasis!

A lovely day, a splendid setting; amongst us sweet sixteen, the younger lot connected with their sweet spot! I felt great inspite of not touching my clubs since last September… we 4 x 4 balls had the entire course to ourselves as we enjoyed the tranquility of the surroundings… the company of Cottonian golfers and with talks of bunking, whacking and the chicks at Chelsea, Auckies, Tara Hall …!

The following results were declared :

Congrats Winners!

Simran Grewal ( Curzon 1998) with a gross of 5 over,  shot 77 with 3 birdies.

Straightest drive
Manpreet Singh Manhas ( Lefroy 1998) 13 ft from the marker.

Closest to Pin
Kanav Monga ( I (Ibbetson 1998) 3ft from the Pin

* Longest Drive
Kanav Monga ( Ibbetson 1998)
256 yards

We would like to Thank the following OCs for the donating the prizes:

Prithvi Nat for A M&S Golf Shirt
( nearly packed in presentation paper that stated HAPPY BIRTHDAY)😁

Rajiv Sood
2 prs Golf Gloves

Jaspinder Kochhar
12 year rare JW Black whiskey

We would also like to Thank Sharat for the best one liner..
“ most unchallenging course Man… didn’t lose a single ball”

Y finalmente the Sixteen express their greatest appreciation to young Kanav who besides playing a mean game of golf, a wicked game of Tennis.. eats, thinks, sleeps, sleep talks, walks and never says die…..
for BCS🙏🙏🙏

Vivek “ Bonnie “ Bhasin
Lefroy 1961-1970
18Feb2023

Kindest Regards and Best Wishes,

Bonnie/Vivek Bhasin

Captain Vivek C Bhasin


Captions 1-7 ( Prize Distribution by Senior OC Capt Bonnie Bhasin )

1. Prithvi Nat – Sunny  – Niri Gill – Prithvi Prem

2. Mann-Kukreja – Chauhan-Sood

3.Atamjit – Sunny Chadha – Vivek Bhasin-Sharat Bhasin

4. Jaspinder Kochar – “Spartan “ Minhas – Champ Grewal – Hard Core Kanav

5. Grewal !!

6. Kuki

7. Spartan

The Group Photos have all sixteen mentioned at the top of my write up!!

The  2022  Winter Christmas Letter – someday we will return..

..loads of snow over Sweden
frozen lakes in January..
stubbornly determined long walks over ice I do trying to average around 13000 steps ..10km stubbornly determined
through pines those branches stooping low with the burden of snow ..stunning live beauty far far better than a photoshop postcard
looking up at the sky i see migratory birds in perfect line swooshing south to the wetlands of Africa and Bharatpur India
the ants have hunkered in their hills
Bjorn the bear too has dug deep and now snores gently .. a long winter…the reptilian folk too have sunk in deep … dandelions have withered and are iced !!
A yearly occurrence across yonder where I once grew up or should I say “in transition to Simla..”.. a sort of granted happening  ..a poisonous blanket of deadly chemicals stills and engulfs Delhi NCR with the highest levels of pollution! Debaters rest… Topics dissected yet still it’s blacker than that London Fog…..
Finally an accolade, a trophy, a massive Cup  made of garbage pollutants and acid is presented to the city of Delhi… a man in a black shroud with steam hissing out of his body staggers to the podium where three sparrows now blacked present  him the same as he lifts it up like Sir Lancelot and tries to say something inaudible in his hoarse voice ( later analysed as “ Yes Finally My City is the Number One Polluted City in the world ! Mission Accomplished!)… A Fireworks display !…from everywhere as Trucks Busses Tractors Motorcycles roar  up engines the black exhaust spews out to everywhere ..many vomit out  thick acrid black liquid and a song reverberates ..”Black is Black.. I want my Baby Back …”
is this the 21st century or are we back to a few hundred years ..?
Face masks always donned by the Far Easterners
Face masks during Corona
Face masks during the winter
Face masks during bright blue skies a rarity because then balls of heavy dust roll in from Rajasthan…
Rather confusing but one has to do what one has to do..
The day before yesterday’s generation is now more tranquil reflective and nostalgia a halo around them …
Too long in the tooth…?
Who knows .. but them crazy rocking days have come around full circle …
Crazy in words acts and deeds
Now crazy upstairs isn’t it?
We all did stuff in 2022 for the good the bad the mischievous and possibly the ugly…
January: a cold dark heavy difficult month
February: A golfing delight at ITC Classic with the young guns !
March : the ides of March beware … look around when he tread
April: The Aries .. My Mum turned 90
May: That hot sweltering month with salt loss as i trudged from Lisbon to the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela…heat stroke and possibly “C”.. tough but determined we Cottonians… a bonus was Porto a delightful town that I enjoyed in the company of fellow pilgrims .. 1.2 million steps 800 km
June: I returned to the Arctic Circle – Midsommar as Young fair maidens danced around the Summer Totem pole with flowers in their hair..
July: I met Christine and Gay Niblett at the Sloane Club and the fine gentleman Mike King
August: I returned to my native country and a small reunion at Tonino’s works wonders for the body, tonic for the soul…
September : Remember… I experience the last few drops of the monsoon ..
October : All over is what I learnt as Captain sailing in the Caribbean… All over .. the Hurricane season finally ended as it starts cooling in West Africa..
October was Mashobra and our BCS… The Slater’s.. XVth Anniversary ..*
November: The OCA week.. nostalgia personified..representing my Class of 1970.. Sunny crispy skies – Thank You Sardar Manav Singh.. the doft of pines drifting in through the picture windows.. Thank You Praveen, Dinesh, Rebecca,Rohit, HM John and Director Simon … your warmth and hospitality was incredibly genuine.. The Chapel glowing and I felt the immense vibrations as I spoke in our sacred place…
December: with -21C in 🇸🇪 Sweden saw me with my entire brood .. at Bharatgarh Fort Punjab, Thanks OC Gursagar, Deepinderji Gaurah Maninderji
.. and on to Rajasthan feeding elephants.. and the forts of Neemrana and Tijara..
Heralding in the New Year with deafening ear exploding cacophonous Bollywood unmelodious outpouring ( absolutely deafened.. but the DJ gave a rat’s ass to my request) …the grand babies rocked ..as the night sky over Chomu Palace lit up with bright sparklers … and then it was over ..
January again ..2023
taking long walks along the Klara River that meanders down from Norway.. I reflect on the tides of my life…
It’s so quiet after India …
an occasional sparrow searching for food grain so generously placed in the woods ..
Still too early for the birds to arrive ..though the ducks 🦆 never left ..they always stay..
Young children in thick winter overalls .. bright chirpy an occasional scream … they all look like trolls …
Whatever Whatever
What does it matter
It’s time to glide over the ice
until it melts and the sun gets warmer …
In the meantime we all hope
peace will return from those far places where turmoil rules…
We should all stand on the first flat and see the setting sun
whilst the lights of the hill train go past Tara Devi and disappear into the tunnel…
Someday
we all
will return …..

Karlstad Sweden 🇸🇪
Orange skies reflected on the Klaraälven River… last evening
Capt Vivek (Bonnie) Bhasin
Lefroy 1961-1970



Kindest Regards and Best Wishes,

Bonnie/Vivek Bhasin

David Browning / farewell dear OC

22nd Dec-2022

Message from David’s wife, Carol to Vivek [Bonnie] Bhasin:

Hello Bonnie.
This is to advise you that sadly David passed away on the 6 th.December.
Kind regards.
Carol.


Dear Carol

I am extremely saddened to hear the passing of David Browning Esquire an illustrious Old Cottonian. May his Soul Rest in Peace.

I would appreciate as much information/background on David so most appropriately I will have our OCA Webmaster post on the BCS / OCA website please. ( House -years in school -your residence in Europe – your India visits and more..).

It is extremely difficult to find yourself alone; we all must take comfort on the long life you shared together and we must also celebrate the wonderful things you did together.

I am presently in India with my entire Swedish family to meet my Mum aged 90; we return to Sweden 6th Dec 2022

My Warmest Wishes and Kindest Regards; I know this would be a very solemn Christmas for you.

Please give me your mobile number so I can speak to you soon.

Please take good care of yourself.

With affection
Bonnie
( Capt Vivek Bhasin)
Lefroy House
1961-1970

Great interaction with BCS Directors

Sent in by Vivek Bhasin [1970 batch]:

Thank You OCA Delhi: Kuttu Singh, Ash, Sunny (Chetan) for making this small group invite, a lovely evening at Tonino’s yesterday ( Saturday 10th Sep 2022). Great interaction with Director Simon , Communication Director Rebecca on “ what’s happened, happening and will happen at BCS! ).